That Left Turn at Albuquerque
by Derry
Summary: The NSA wants to grant Charlie Eppes a high level security clearance. Part of the investigation involves questioning family and friends. This is Don's interview.


**Title: **That Left Turn at Albuquerque**  
****Author: **Derry****

Disclaimer: Don't own Numb3rs. Make no profit.  
**  
****Spoilers: **Pilot, Vector, Protest - but the fic is set pre-series**  
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Notes:** This fic was written for the familyhaven ficathon on LiveJournal for jlm110108's prompt _"The NSA wants to grant Charlie Eppes a high level security clearance. Part of the investigation involves questioning family and friends. How do Charlie's family and friends respond to the investigation? Pre-series."_ Although what I've actually written is mainly an NSA agent questioning Don with some references to previous questioning of other family members. The fic title was nabbed from Bugs Bunny. That wascally wabbit! I took a small liberty naming the OFC but no resemblance to any real person is intended. Thanks to Rinne and Starrylizard for betaing this, but as always, the mistakes that it still contains are very much my own.

* * *

The Albuquerque offices of the FBI weren't completely unknown territory to her. She hadn't worked there, but Albuquerque was her home town and interdepartmental rivalry between the FBI and NSA hadn't stopped her dropping in to these offices for various reasons, both official and unofficial, when she came home to visit family and friends. 

Not since Don Eppes had taken over running the office though. She knew him only by reputation and that reputation was not inconsequential because he was young for that level of authority. Young, competent and, for the most part, actually well-liked by his colleagues. You didn't come across that hat trick very often in the highly competitive circles of Federal Law Enforcement where the ambitious could become resentful of those seen to be promoted ahead of their time. But Don Eppes seemed to have overcome that, which implied he had either political savvy or personal charisma or both. He was certainly an attractive man. The reputation hadn't left that part out and, as he reached forward to shake her hand when she entered his office, she confirmed for herself the truth behind the rumour.

There was only a passing resemblance to his brother though. Enough that it was easy to believe the sibling connection, but not so much that you'd guess it without being told. The ease, grace and confidence with which Special Agent Don Eppes took her hand was quite a contrast to the nervous, though cheerful, way that Professor Charles Eppes had grasped it. Of course, Don Eppes wasn't greeting her as someone who had come to scrutinise and evaluate him. After he offered her a seat and the other usual pleasantries were exchanged, Agent Eppes cut right to the chase.

"So, if it's not about one of my current cases, what exactly is this 'sharing of information' that you propose, Agent Marshall?"

"When did you last speak with your brother, Agent Eppes?"

His frown was immediate, understandably protective. He was the older brother, after all. "Am I to understand that Charlie is the subject of an NSA investigation?"

"There's no suspicion of criminal activity, if that's what you're worried about. Are you going to answer my question?"

His eyes remained guarded and he spoke with carefully chosen words. "Maybe almost a month ago, I got a call from Mom and she put him on the phone." There must have been something challenging in her expression because he almost immediately went on to say, "You have to understand that we're not exactly close. I've got nothing against Charlie, but we just don't have much common ground. He talks mostly about university math stuff which is way over my head and I can't tell him too much about what I do, obviously."

That was a good opening for her. "Why? Do you think he'd be a security risk?"

"What? No! Look, I'm sure you know that the Bureau found my parents' records for protesting in the seventies when they did my background check. If you think that Charlie is some kind of radical following in their footsteps, then you're wrong. For one thing, my parents never did anything criminal. For another, Charlie isn't political. He's into his research and that's all."

"Do you trust him?"

"Of course, I do."

"Even though you're not close."

"Look, I don't have to live in his pockets to know that Charlie's a good guy. I grew up with him. His head is in the clouds, but he believes in doing the right thing. I'd trust him with my life."

She couldn't help but smile. That was more or less the same answer that Alan Eppes had given. Margaret Eppes viewed the NSA agents inquiring about her son with unrelenting suspicion and remained tight-lipped, giving only yes or no answers. And his colleagues at the university also seemed reluctant to speak, perhaps more motivated by professional jealousy, not wanting to praise a rival too highly. Except Professor Fleinhart, he unreservedly heaped praise on the young mathematician. The word "genius" was used without reservation and coming from someone of Fleinhart's qualifications, that actually meant something.

The NSA were not concerned whether he was up to the task they had in mind for him. His professional qualifications were impeccable. They just needed to know if he could handle the security issues and, in her opinion, it looked like he could.

His brother was still staring at her through narrowed eyes despite her smile - or perhaps, because of her smile. There was no need to draw this out further. As Don Eppes had alluded to, many of the security issues pertaining to Charles Eppes had already been looked into by the government when his brother joined the FBI. And since she felt that she now had all she needed from Agent Eppes in person, she rose from her seat with another polite smile.

"Thank you. I won't take up any more of your time, Agent Eppes."

She glanced at her watch, even though she knew she had more than enough time to make it to the restaurant, and looked up again to find him wearing a sardonic expression.

"Business calls, Agent Marshall?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the irony. "Actually, no. I'm meeting my brother for lunch."

His eyebrows lifted slightly at that and she wondered if she'd somehow caused offence, but he then broke out into a smile. "Yeah, I can understand that. Although, since both Mom and Dad are excellent cooks and they've become kinda competitive about it these days, we rarely get the chance to eat out when I get back home to LA."

She almost agreed on his parents' culinary skills, because the homemade cakes they'd served with coffee when they'd been interviewed at their home were some of the best she'd ever tasted, but then she realised that he was _fishing_ to find out whether she'd indeed been invited into the Eppes family home.

Don Eppes was definitely not just a pretty face. Neither was his brother.

They were both worth watching very carefully.

But for now she settled for smiling mysteriously and knowing that his gaze remained fixed on her all the way to the elevators on the other side of the floor.


End file.
